Nail-sorting device



June 28,1927.

- L634J92 O.H.HOVDA NAIL S ORTING DEVICE Filed May 21, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet mun \Hlllllllll Hovd'w AIYIHUVEKQ Patented June 28, 1927.

PATENT, OFFICE.

OLIVER H. Kevin, on BILLINGS, MONTA A.

nAIL-son'rING DEVICE.

3 Application filed May 21,

The present invention relates-toimprovements in nail sorting devices and consists in certain improvements in the drum construction shown and described in my prior'copending application, Serial No. 7 42,657 filed October 9, 1924, which matured into Patent No. 1,592,697, July 13,1926. I I

Anobject of the invention is to provide a device in which the speed of assorting will be materially increased and at the same time the work of assorting will be a more perfect one. p

A further object of the invention is to. pro

vide an improved drum construction in which the compactness, inexpensiveness and strength are prime factors. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, andwill'be more particularly pointed" out in the'claims appended hereto. v i r In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved drum constructed according to the present invention; I

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 in Figure 1; 7

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the interior construction of the drum;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4: in Figure 3; and,

of a section of the drum. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 6 designates the drum shell generally, to the interiorof which nails are fed through the chutes 7. propriate roller or other. bearings, indicated generally at 8, and this drum is oscillated by power received through a shaft9 carrying a inion 10 meshing with a gear wheel 11 affixed to the drum. It will be apparent that any other means may be used to impart a rapid oscillating movement to the drum,'such as will shake up the nails or other material to be sorted and cause such material'to be exposed continually to the separating pocket construction of the druma r r either with the point or the head first.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view The drum is mounted in ap- 1926. Serial No. 110,733.

I This separating pocket construction is made up of the similar drum sections 12,

these sections being inclined to the circumference of the drum for the purpose of d-irecting the nails toward the'pockets,..which pockets are confined between the radial plates 13 and let. The sections 12, plates 13 and 14, and the connecting bottoms 15 are all preferably maple and shaped from the same piece of sheet metal. The next adjacent section has its free end, which is outwardly or diagonally' turned, as ping the pocket. In the pocket are the long partitions 17, spaced apart for an appropriate length which is predetermined by the length of the nails to be sorted. These partitions proj the pockets and inwardly of the out-turned edges of the sections 12 whereby to encounter the nails as they roll down such inclined sections 12. Approximately midway between' the long partitions are arranged short parations '18, having their. ends disposed outwardly of the free end 16 of the sections and also preferably having their inner ends cut off in a straight linewhereby to receive the shanks of the nails and to permit these shanks to rock on such cut-off edges. The rocking nails will rapidly become overbalanced, due to the increased weight at the head side, and the agitation in the drum and will be tip-ended, falling into the pockets The innerends of the long partitions are preferably inclined on an inclination opposite that of the sections 12, whereby to oppose the rolling of the nails up on these projecting partition ends. The partitions maybe also of sheet metal and mounted between the walls 13 and 14 in any appropriate manner, as by the use of solder.

' Substantially V-shaped abutments 19 are walls will divert the nails downwardly into ect inwardly .ofthe open mouths of indicated at 16, overlapall The abutments are secured to the wall 13 inany appropriate manner, as by soldering.

The sections 12 are provided with the raised beads 21 extended: in a circumferential direction and being spaced apart appropri- 'ately. These are for the purpose of turning the nails end-wise and causing them to slide end-wise toward the pockets as much as possible. Nails falling end-wise will enter the pockets between the partitions and will notbe obliged to go through the rocking movement on the short partitions 18.

It will be noted that the connecting corner wall 22 is rounded, particularly internally of the pocket in order to prevent the point of the nail from entering a sharp corner space which would give this end of the nail an advantage over the head end and cause longer nails to be passed through the pockets.

In the operation of the device, nails are fed into the drum through the chute 7 and the drum is oscillated,-as will be clear. The nails will thus be caused to be diverted by the section plates 12 toward the pockets and will either be directed end-wise into the pockets or be up-ended by the short partitions 18. In any event, these nails will fall into the pockets, as indicated in Figure 4c, and the length between the bottoms 15 of the pockets and the free edges 16 of the section plates will determine the-length of nail to be sorted. Nails of a length to escape past the out-turned end 16 will fall against the wall 1 1, which is inclined considerably to the radius of the drum and in a direction inwardly and away from the companion wall 13 and also away from the section edge 16. This will provide between the inner free edge of the wall 14: and the section edge 16 a substantial space which is the outlet or escape space. The nails will be free on rota tion of the drum to escape outwardly and into a suitable collection receptacle. The nails will be guided in their escape by the inclined section plates 20, which considered with respect to their outside faces, are inclined away from the pockets.

As viewed in Figure 2, it will be clear that the pockets and section plates are arranged relatively opposite upon opposite a doubleplate and which is provided with a hassles substantially V-s'ha ed'. se arating plate 224.. therebeneath for preventing the separated nails from one pocket finding their way into the other pocket. The beads 21 further prevent the nails from rolling around in the drum, and such beads may or may not be used, and are preferably not used upon the bottom double section 23.

WVlren 1n use, there will be several of the drums, as illustrated, and described, one

above the other, each to take care of one cer- All the rest ofthe nails tain. length nai-l. will enter the second drum below, which in turn will take out second larger nails. 7 The larger nails will be removed bysubsequent drums beneath. The smaller nails will drop through the pockets at the first three or four oscillations, and the arrangement proposed will materially increase the speed at which the assorting operation may be carried on, and it will also make the assortment a more perfect one. 7

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made inthe details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention, without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. p 7

Having thus describedmy invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An improved nail sorting device, comprising a drum having sorting pockets, inclined plates for divertingthe nails to the sorting pockets, long partitions in said-pockets for regulating the length of nails delivered thereto, and short partitions in the pockets between the long partitions for upending the nails.

2. An improved nail sorting device comprising a drumhaving sorting pockets therein, inclined section plates for diverting. the nails to the pockets and for forming outlets with the pockets, and long and short partitions in said pockets.

3. An improved nail sorting device comprising a drum having pockets therein, section plates sloping to the pockets for directing the nails thereto and having projections thereon for preventing the nails from rolling about'inthe drum.

4. YA nail sorting device comprising a drum having pockets, section plates arranged to divert the nails to the pockets, and substantially V -shaped abutments adjoining the section plates and disposed partially within the mouths of the pockets. sides of the drum, as is necessary to secure. the best results where. the drum is oscillated back andforth. The two lowermost pockets. are fed by the same section plate 23, which is cumference ofthe drum, spaced walls eX= tending angularly from said plates and con-- nesting bottoms between said Walls, one of section, substantially V-shaped abutments sesaid alls being substantially radial and cured to said radial Walls substantially injoining with the innermost ends of thesee- Wardly of the diagonally turned edges of 1 tion plates, the other Wall being inclined to the plates, and long and short partitions in- 5 the radius and shorter, said plates having said pockets.

their free edges turned diagonally outward and overlapping the pocket of an adjacent- OLIVER H. HOVDA. 

